The emergence of global communication networks such as the Internet and major cellular networks has precipitated interaction between users and other network entities. Not only are cellular and IP networks now a principal form of communications, but also a central means for interacting with other users for most purposes. Network users now have mechanisms for searching and communicating on virtually any topic of interest. However, this vast resource of information can also be an impediment to finding information as the sources and amount of information continue to grow with no end in sight. This presents a formidable challenge when trying to find the information desired.
With respect to web searches, conventional Internet search engines allow users to enter keyword queries and return links to relevant web pages. Each link is accompanied by the title of the web page and a short contextual description of the page. Some internet search engines also return “related searches” in order to help users to refine queries in case the desired information was not returned. In many scenarios, returning named entities such as names of people, location, organization, products, etc., related to the user query, in addition to links and query suggestions, can significantly improve the whole page relevance. These related entities complement algorithmic results and query log-based query suggestions.
However, given the already vast amount of information available and increasing number of new data sources coming online and the differing types of data being provided, finding these more focused and relevant resources of information can be difficult.